


I Was There For You

by Fangirllevelis9000



Category: Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (2013)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Canon Related, Canon Rewrite, Cute, Everyone Is Alive, Fix-It, Gay, Gay Nick Carraway, Gay Panic, Glitter, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Jay Gatsby Lives, Jazz Age, M/M, Old Sport (The Great Gatsby), Sparkles, The Author Regrets Everything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:21:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23193901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirllevelis9000/pseuds/Fangirllevelis9000
Summary: Nick reflects on his history with Gatsby and realizes he's had feelings for him all along. Will he ever find the courage to tell Jay about it? Or will fate steal the chance from him?
Relationships: Nick Carraway & Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway/Jay Gatsby
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	I Was There For You

When Nick had first moved to New York City, he was overwhelmed with a sense of dread. The only thing that kept him busy was work, and working with bonds was a hectic business since the market was booming so much. He didn't have much to do with his free time, so he mostly sat inside and wrote to pass the time. Though he greatly enjoyed writing, it became rather boring for him after a number of weeks. He had always considered himself an introvert, but he was still becoming increasingly lonely without friends.

Of course, he had Daisy and Tom, but even if they were just across the bay it felt like they were miles away. East Egg was a whole different world compared to West Egg, and the Buchanans' wealth set them apart from most people. They acted as if they were so superior compared to everyone else, and even if they were, it always left a sour taste in Nick's mouth whenever he visited.

After one particularly awful visit in which Tom assaulted a maid for rearranging the furniture incorrectly after cleaning the house, Nick swore to himself that he would never settle down with someone who was wealthy.

Ever. 

Nick often contemplated what "settling down" even meant to him, anyhow. Since he was his parents' only son, he knew they had dreams for him to marry a fine-looking young woman and carry on the family name with pride. Every Christmas, every birthday, every family gathering brought about another "Say, Nicky, you found yourself a gal yet? Golly, you must be real picky if you still haven't picked up one by now."

It tortured Nick to know he'd never be able to make his parents happy. To live up to their expectations. He'd love nothing more than to live a normal, happy life like everyone wanted him to. 

The only problem was, his normal seemed to be different from everyone else's.

Ever since his college years, Nick knew falling in love with a woman just wasn't in the cards. His classmates always seemed to bring home the "hottest" ones, and even though Nick thought they seemed like nice gals, they never quite struck his fancy. At first, he thought he was just being quite picky, but as time went on he knew he couldn't keep kidding himself. In all his 29 years of living, he had never once met a girl he could see himself marrying.

He had heard the word "queer" tossed around here and there, used by classmates to bully the awkward kid, or by a policeman on the street beating a man to the ground. Nick knew what it meant, and he prayed to God that he wasn't it. He didn't know if he could stand to live in a world where he would be stuck feeling something that would get him in trouble.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick first heard the name "Gatsby" from Jordan Baker. She had tossed the name around like it was a common phrase, and she was puzzled when Nick was unfamiliar with it.

"What on earth is a Gatsby?"

"Nick, the question is: who on earth is Gatsby? He's a man, silly. And one of the most famous men in all of New York, too."

"Well how can he be so famous if I've never heard of him?"

"That's because all you do is work, Nick. You never leave time for fun or parties or dancing, you're all work, work, work." Jordan giggled. "You see, Gatsby throws the biggest, grandest parties in all of New York. Practically everyone who's a 'somebody' around here attends. I've attended some of them myself, and now I go every weekend up to West Egg for the festivities."

"Say, I live in West Egg!"

"Then you must have seen the endless amount of people that drive in every weekend! Or you must have heard the wonderful music that pours out of the place!"

"Well, now that you mention it.... my nextdoor neighbor occasionally throws large parties. The trees on my property shield me from much of the commotion, but perhaps this neighbor is the 'Gatsby' you speak of."

"Oh my, imagine living next to the man!" Jordan laughed heartily. "Well then, we'll go together to the next party. You have to learn to get out of the house more, and a party is just the place to let loose."

Of course, Nick would have gone to the next party whether or not Jordan was bringing him.

He did, after all, receive a personal invitation the very next day.


End file.
